No. 21 women’s tennis will aim to continue in stride this weekend after two dominant sweeps last week. The Trojans will journey to Knoxville, Tennessee to participate in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kickoff Weekend, taking on two ranked opponents. 

USC’s (2-0) season has been taken off of autopilot and thrust straight into hyperdrive as the team will first face No. 23 Miami (1-0) and then either No. 17 Vanderbilt (0-1) or No. 18 Tennessee (4-0). Two top-25 ranked Power Five opponents in a matter of two days will be an early season test to see if this team is good enough to improve on some of last season’s successes.

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“This is a team that really has identified consistency as a place where we can improve and do better, and that’s something we want from the beginning,” said Head Coach Alison Swain in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “This is a team that’s pretty hungry to build off our Pac-12 championship run last season and take the momentum from that and what we learned … to use that from the beginning of our season this year.”

The Trojans won three games in four days last season to make it to the Pac-12 Women’s Tennis Championship final before falling to Stanford. It was in that tournament that USC got its lone ranked win of the season against then-No. 22 Arizona State. The Trojans were 1-6 overall against top-25 ranked opponents last season.

But USC opened the 2024 campaign with a bang by dispatching Loyola Marymount (0-1) 7-0 and UC Irvine (0-1) 4-0. The Trojans lost a heavy hitter as Maddy Sieg turned pro after just one season, but they may have found a replacement with freshman Immi Haddad.

Haddad played well to kick off her collegiate career, clinching both matches for USC without dropping a set. Fellow freshman Lilly Fairclough also had a stellar showing, winning a pair of singles and doubles bouts against both the Anteaters and the Lions.

“It was so awesome to be back competing at home,” said sophomore Emma Charney, who won a singles and doubles match to start her season. “​​We were really prepared and ready to start the long season ahead with a successful start.”

Fairclough was paired in her doubles match against LMU with graduate Eryn Cayetano. The pair won with ease in a 6-2 contest. Cayetano is coming into her fifth season in the cardinal and gold after being named an All-American just a season ago.

“Every year has been an experience within itself, but what makes this year unique is just the culture that we have and the love that we have for each other,” Cayetano said. “Everyone is finally on the same page, and they just all have this grind and passion just to make our mark.”

This weekend’s test will show if the Trojans have what it takes to improve on last season. But historically, USC has been able to get it done against these particular Power Five opponents. USC has a combined all-time record of 15-5 against Miami, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

USC had many fall competitions, but now it’s the real deal. The Trojans can make their mark early in the season in a crowded Pac-12 conference featuring four teams in the top 25. And with seven starters returning, there’s only one way to go but up.

“There’s been growth from a number of players, which is really what we’re the most excited about from a coaching staff perspective, and our players feel that and are energized by that too,” Swain said. “It’s been really a full team effort, and … setting that tone through the fall season has really helped elevate everyone else to see the jumps we can make individually and how that helps us overall as a team.”

USC will take on No. 23 Miami on Friday at 11 a.m. at Goodfriend Tennis Center to begin the ITA Kickoff Weekend.